How an earlier training concept at Srednja šola Jesenice found new opportunities through CARE-ABILITY
At Srednja šola Jesenice, Petra Alič, a teacher of vocational subjects in nursing care, had begun reflecting several years earlier on the challenges of an ageing society. In her professional article published in 2018, she highlighted the growing need for home-based support for older people and presented the idea of a short, practice-oriented training programme for informal caregivers providing basic support with everyday activities.
In the original proposal, the target group consisted primarily of active retirees and unemployed individuals. The idea was based on the assumption that these groups bring valuable life experience, motivation and a willingness to contribute to society. With appropriate training and professional support, they could help older people live safely and with dignity in their own homes for as long as possible. However, the programme was never implemented at Srednja šola Jesenice.
When Srednja šola Jesenice became acquainted with the CARE-ABILITY project, it recognised strong thematic alignment between the project’s objectives and Petra Alič’s earlier training concept. Joining the project provided an opportunity to further develop these ideas within a broader European initiative focused on inclusive pathways into elderly care.
Growing Demand for Support for Older People
Population ageing is leading to an increasing demand for support with everyday activities, care and assistance. When older people can no longer care for themselves because of illness, frailty or reduced independence, the available options are often limited to institutional care, organised home care or informal support provided by relatives, neighbours and other members of the community.
In her article, Petra Alič emphasised that supporting older people goes beyond nursing care alone. A significant part of care involves assistance with everyday activities such as personal hygiene, mobility, nutrition and hydration, maintaining the home environment, preparing meals, shopping and accompanying older people during daily errands. This underlines the importance of ensuring that people who provide such support receive at least basic, structured training.
CARE-ABILITY in a Broader European Context
The CARE-ABILITY project addresses the same societal challenge within a broader European and inclusive framework. Its primary target group is migrant women, who are often already engaged in different forms of care work within families, households, communities or elderly care services. However, their knowledge and experience frequently remain informal, insufficiently recognised and largely invisible.
CARE-ABILITY builds on the need for short and accessible training programmes by introducing inclusive learning approaches that take into account the barriers migrant women may face. These include language barriers, limited recognition of prior learning and experience, financial and time constraints, and the challenge of balancing work, family responsibilities and education.
An important principle of the project is the recognition that migrant women already possess valuable knowledge and practical experience. These existing competences provide a strong foundation for further learning, skills development and entry into the elderly care sector.
Short, Practice-Oriented Training as a Shared Vision
The earlier proposal at Srednja šola Jesenice and the CARE-ABILITY project share a common vision: well-designed, practice-oriented training can contribute to safer, higher-quality and more responsible support for older people. Home-based support requires more than goodwill. It requires basic knowledge, practical skills, an understanding of responsibilities and a respectful, person-centred approach to care.
Key training topics include personal hygiene, skin care, mobility support, nutrition and hydration, maintaining the home environment, infection prevention, ergonomics and basic first aid. CARE-ABILITY places these topics within a broader learning framework that also includes communication skills, intercultural competences, ethics, digital skills and career guidance.
It is important to emphasise that CARE-ABILITY does not replace regulated healthcare professions and does not prepare participants to perform medical procedures independently. Instead, it provides a solid foundation for safe and structured support work in elderly care while laying the foundations for further learning, employment and career progression.
More Accessible Learning Opportunities for Migrant Women
One of the project’s key added values lies in the way learning is designed and delivered. CARE-ABILITY develops flexible, modular and digitally supported learning pathways that incorporate clear language, visual learning materials, mentoring, language support, micro-credentials and the recognition of prior learning.
This approach goes beyond knowledge transfer. It also aims to strengthen participants’ confidence, sense of belonging and readiness to enter the labour market. Petra Alič now contributes to the CARE-ABILITY project as an expert contributor, enabling her extensive experience in nursing care and adult education to support the development of inclusive learning pathways for migrant women.
The CARE-ABILITY project is co-funded by the Erasmus+ programme and supports the development of more inclusive, flexible and sustainable pathways into careers in elderly care. More information about the project is available at www.care-ability.eu.
Sources
- Alič, P. (2018). Retired People in Secondary School? Of course, why not!. Zbornik prispevkov EDUvision 2018, 1144-1150. https://www.eduvision.si/Content/Docs/Zbornik%20prispevkov%20EDUvision_2018_SLO.pdf
- CARE-ABILITY Project. (2026). Best practices handbook.
https://care-ability.eu/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/EN_BestPracticesHandbook_1.pdf